CMSC/PHYS 457 Introduction to Quantum Computing, Spring 2021 : Syllabus

Tentative Syllabus (subject to frequent updates)

  • Week 1 (Jan 25 - Jan 29): From classical to quantum information. Quantum mechanics.

    • Lecture 1 (01/25/21): Introduction of the course (note). Linear algebra backgrounds (our cheatsheet). Reading: KLM Chap 1 and Chap 2.1-2.6.

    • Lecture 2 (01/27/21): mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics. Reading: KLM Chap 3.1.

    • Logistics: Please find your group member as soon as possible.

  • Week 2 (Feb 1 - Feb 5): Quantum mechanics.

    • Lecture 3 (02/01/21): mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics. Reading: KLM Chap 3.1-3.3.

    • Lecture 4 (02/03/21): mathematical formulation of quantum mechanics. Reading: KLM Chap 3.4. No-cloning theorem

    • Logistics: Assignment 0 and 1 due on 02/05/21.

  • Week 3 (Feb 8 - Feb 12): Quantum protocols.

    • Lecture 5 (02/08/21): teleportation and super-dense coding. Reading: KLM Chap 5.1-5.2.

    • Lecture 6 (02/10/21): quantum Zeno Effect and Elitzur-Vaidman Bomb. Reading: Aaronson's Lecture 4

    • Logistics: Project proposal due on 02/12/21.

  • Week 4 (Feb 15 - Feb 19): Quantum circuits.

    • Lecture 7 (02/15/21): basic quantum circuits/gates. universal gate sets. Reading: KLM Chap 4.

    • Lecture 8 (02/17/21): universal gate sets. Reading: KLM Chap 4. Further Reading: Nielsen and Chung Chap 4.1 - 4.6. Note on the Solovay-Kitaev theorem by Ozols

    • Logistics: Assignment 2 due on 02/19/21. Project finalized by 02/19/21.

  • Week 5 (Feb 22 - Feb 26): Quantum algorithms.

    • Lecture 9 (02/22/21): quantum query model and Deutsch-Josza algorithm. Reading: Gharibian-Lec-06

    • Lecture 10 (02/24/21): Simon's algorithm. Reading: Watrous-06-Lec 6

    • Logistics:

  • Week 6 (Mar 1 - Mar 5): Lab 1 & Grover's algorithms.

    • Lecture 11 (03/01/21): Lab 1: demonstration of coding quantum protocols and algorithms.

    • Lecture 12 (03/03/21): Grover's algorithm. Reading: Watrous-06-Lec 12 Watrous-06-Lec 13

    • Logistics: Assignment 3 due on 03/05/21.

  • Week 7 (Mar 8 - Mar 12): Quantum algorithms (cont'd).

  • Week 8 (Mar 14 - Mar 21): Spring Break! Enjoy!

  • Week 9 (Mar 22 - Mar 26): Shor's algorithm.

    • Lecture 15 (03/22/21): quantum Fourier transform and quantum phase estimation. Reading: Watrous-06-Lec 8 Watrous-06-Lec 9

    • Lecture 16 (03/24/21): quantum algorithm for order finding. Reading: Watrous-06-Lec 10

    • Logistics: Assignment 4 due on 03/31/21.

  • Week 10 (Mar 29 - Apr 2): Lab 2 & Shor's algorithm (cont'd)

    • Lecture 17 (03/29/21): Shor's algorithm. Reading: Watrous-06-Lec 11

    • Lecture 18 (03/31/21): Lab 2: demonstration of coding quantum protocols and algorithms.

    • Logistics: Project mid-term report due by 04/02/21.

  • Week 11 (Apr 5 - Apr 9): Mixed states, Quantum operations, and Quantum Entanglements

    • Lecture 19 (04/05/21): mixed states, density operators, quantum entanglement. Reading: KLM 3.5, Watrous-06-Lec 14. Further Reading TQI Chapter 2.

    • Lecture 20 (04/07/21): quantum operations. Reading: KLM 3.5, Watrous-06-Lec 15. Further Reading TQI Chapter 2.

    • Logistics: Coding Assignment due 04/09/21.

  • Week 12 (Apr 12 - Apr 16): Quantum Error Correction

  • Week 13 (Apr 19 - Apr 23): Variational Quantum Methods.

    • Lecture 23 (04/19/21): Variational Quantum Methods I.

    • Lecture 24 (04/21/21): Variational Quantum Methods II.

    • Logistics: Project slides due on 04/23/21.

  • Week 14 (Apr 26 - Apr 30): Formal Verification of Quantum Programs with Coq

    • Lecture 25 (04/26/21): Formal Verification of Quantum Programs I.

    • Lecture 26 (04/28/21): Formal Verification of Quantum Programs II.

    • Logistics:

  • Week 15 (May 3 - May 7): Project Presentation and Peer Review

    • Lecture 27 (05/05/21): Exam II.

    • Project slides due on 04/23/21.

    • Recorded Presentation (due on): 05/03/21.

    • Peer Review (due on): 05/10/21.

  • Week 16: Exam Week: course project report due on 05/17/21 !